


Close Your Eyes

by Thewordlover



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e02 The Night of the Comet, Episode: s02e20 The Last Day, F/M, Parallels, written c. summer 2011
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-08 22:04:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3225110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thewordlover/pseuds/Thewordlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s so far from fine in so many ways, but else can she do? It would hurt her even more if Stefan was hurt trying to stop the inevitable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close Your Eyes

It is dark as they pull up to the garage. Stefan helps Elena out of the car.  
“Thanks for today,” she says. He listened, he understood. That’s what Stefan does, and she knows it more than ever now. She told him the truth, the truth that she never wants to be what he is- and he completely and utterly got it.  
Stefan nods, then notices something and looks out into the darkness.  
\--  
Elena rang the bell and Stefan came to the door.  
“Hey,” she said.  
“Would you like to come in?” Stefan asked.  
“The comet’s actually this way,” she replied, pointing behind herself with her thumb. They walked over to the stone wall.  
Klaus.   
“You had me all nervous,” he says, not sounding nervous at all. “I thought maybe you’d done something stupid.”  
Klaus continues, addressing Elena, “Are you ready, my dear?”  
“I’m ready,” Elena says. Stefan blocks her with his arm.  
“No,” Stefan says.  
“Sorry for barging in. Especially after earlier,” Elena said.  
“No, no. I’m glad you’re here,” Stefan said. “The way we left things- I didn’t like it.”  
“See, the thing is- I got home tonight planning on doing what I always do, write in my diary. Like I have been since my mom gave me one when I was ten. It’s where I get everything out, everything I’m feeling, it all goes in these little book that I hide on the second shelf behind this really hideous ceramic mermaid. But then I realized that I’d just be writing things I should probably be telling you.”  
“What would you write?”  
\--  
Klaus’s voice is quiet. “I wouldn’t. No reason for you to die, too.”  
Die. Said so nonchalantly; it isn’t news to him. Elena supposes death is never news to Klaus. But to her it is. She is willing to sacrifice herself, but it is still hard to willingly go to the man who will kill her. And the fact that she won’t just die- she will become a vampire soon after- is such a huge thing to hold inside of herself.  
“No, Stefan, hey, hey. It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll go; no one needs to get hurt.”  
It’s so far from fine in so many ways, but else can she do? It would hurt her even more if Stefan was hurt trying to stop the inevitable.   
“There’s no reason for you to get hurt,” Elena says.  
She kisses him. It is dark and Klaus stands close by and she is about to be sacrificed, and they kiss. Elena is reminded of that night, when the comet was in the sky and Stefan stood beside her.  
They told each other what they would write. They kissed in that darkness, and it was new and scary and uncertain, but Elena was happy in that moment. The world could crash down another day.  
“I love you,” Elena says.  
“I love you,” Stefan whispers in reply.  
They kiss.  
“Close your eyes,” Elena says.  
Stefan looks back at Klaus, then to Elena again.   
“Close your eyes,” she says again.  
Stefan does. Elena takes a deep breath and lets it out. She needs to steel herself for what she must do. She steps away and slowly removes her hand from Stefan’s, which is left reaching out. She puts one foot in front of the other and walks to Klaus, leaving Stefan behind.  
Tonight the world is crashing down around her, but Elena must be strong. She has said goodbye to Stefan, and now she must face what comes next. She cannot just close her eyes and make it all go away.


End file.
